


Communication Is Key

by Vashti93



Series: To Make Team Work [1]
Category: Teen Titans - All Media Types
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-10
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:07:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,828
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24104914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vashti93/pseuds/Vashti93
Summary: The first time Raven lost control of her powers in front of her new teammates, was during a training exercise. Sparring. Connecting with strangers is hard, and Raven isn't doing so well. And her leader certainly isn't making things easy for her.  She's only been on Earth for two years. She has nowhere to go; but leaving may be her only option.
Relationships: Tim Drake/Raven
Series: To Make Team Work [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1739200
Comments: 3
Kudos: 32





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing and no one in the DC Universe. Also, title may change.

The first time Raven lost control of her powers was during a team training exercise. Sparring - to be exact. And to say her new teammates were shocked when it happened would be an understatement. But it was also the first time she and Tim had a conversation, thus making it one of the best days of her life.

* * *

She had been avoiding her new teammates. It's not that she didn't like them, she just didn't know how to socialize. Growing up, she was _always_ surrounded by adults. She wasn't allowed to play with the other children. She wasn't allowed to play at all. Now, surrounded by teens her age, she had no idea what to relate to do. And the green one – _Beast. Boy? –_ was…distracting. He was all over the place, and he never left her alone. He was always trying to talk to her. The cyborg – she liked him. He always said 'hi' to her whenever he saw her. But the green one…the green was getting on her last nerve. He needed to go. Sure, she might have found him a little cute, but he was bothersome. He was more bothersome than cute. The others, they _never_ talked to her. Ever. They didn't even try to include her in conversation. And it's not like she hadn't tried entering or starting a conversation. Every time she opened her mouth to speak, she froze. She had only been speaking English for a 1 year and 9 months. She had yet to master it, but she was afraid of using the wrong word resulting in someone being offended. That was the last thing she wanted to do. So, she stayed in her room reading and practicing her English. Another reason her teammates stayed away from her was because she never showed her face. Ever. They had no idea what she looked like. She always wore her hood whenever she was out and about. And if she weren't in uniform, she would swear an oversized hoodie over her civilian attire. And yes, the hood was always covering her face. She didn't attend team training, much to Red Robin's chagrin. In the last month she probably showed up to two, but she didn't participate. She huddled in the corner looking like a grim reaper stalking its next victim. But she was able to work out by herself here-and-there. She used the gym at night, after everyone went to bed. And it's not like she hadn't tried to enter a conversation. Every time she opened her mouth to speak, she froze. Also, her teammates' emotions were loud. She was still building her mental shields, but every time she was around them, a headache soon formed. She was still young, and she was pretty sure everyone around her was an extrovert. Even Rose and Red Robin. Rose was an ambivert, her emotions were more subdued. And Red Robin liked to pretend he was an introvert, all dark and moody. But he really wasn't. From what little she heard; his predecessors had been great at hiding their emotions. Red Robin, not so much. His face may be stoic, but his body language always gave him away. He really needed to work on that.

Alas, living on Earth was not easy. There didn't seem to be any aliens on the team, no one who understood her plight. And not to mention headaches and nightmares…gosh! One night. She just wanted one night where she slept nightmare free. Was that too much to ask for?

Just as she was about to return to her reading, someone knocked – or pounded – on the door. "Raven!" she heard from the other side. That was Red Robin, and he sounded really angry. "Team training in five! I expect you to be there! This is not a suggestion!" he shouted before walking away. Raven inhaled and exhaled multiple times. "I can do this," Raven muttered to herself. "I can do this." And she could, couldn't she?

* * *

Tim laughed with the rest of his teammates to something Kid Flash had said. Red Robin had created this team a month ago. He was proud to say, everyone was getting along with each other just fine. Everyone except Raven. His mind darkened at the thought of the young sorceress. She wasn't tall standing at 5'2" – probably still growing. And he hadn't ever seen her face. Like ever. She was always wearing a hood or a sweatshirt with a hood. (Now he understood how people felt talking to him with his eyes covered. It really was annoying.) Honestly, he didn't know why Batman wanted her on the team. She didn't seem like much of a team player. Sure, she was an asset when it came to fighting, the girl packed quite the punch. She had amazing power and had gotten them out of many, many tough situations. And based on the hand-to-hand combat skills she displayed in the gym when she thought know one was watching, there was no reason she couldn't participate in team training. You know what? He had had enough of her not wanting to be part of team outings and team breakfast or team trainings. Even Rose joined them. And Rose had stayed locked up in her room sharpening her swords, knives, daggers, and other lethal weapons, for a whole week. Initially, he left Raven alone because he thought she needed time to adjust. But three weeks with no change – Raven no longer had any excuses. He stood from the stool he was sitting on. "Team training in five," he announced. The others didn't look shocked or surprised. They were used to this type of thing from their leader.

Tim marched himself to Raven's room and pounded on the door. "Raven!" he yelled. "Team training in five!" He didn't even give her a chance to respond. "I expect you to be there! This is not a suggestion!" This seclusion of hers stopped today. He was going to make it perfectly clear that if didn't want to be a team player, she could go.


	2. Chapter 2

Raven stood uncomfortably on the balcony, with her teammates, overlooking a small arena. She really didn't want to be here. Between the nightmares and the headaches – she just couldn't do it. "Raven!" she heard her name barked. She looked up. "You're up. You're going to face Wonder Girl."

"Are you serious?" Rose asked.

"Raven is just as powerful, maybe even more powerful, than Wonder Girl. She'll be fine."

"Uh…Red Robin…" Raven said timidly. He faced her once again and crossed his arms. The emotions he was emitting clearly showed that he was angry and frustrated at her. She cocked her head. Why was he mad? As far as she knew, she hadn't done anything wrong.

"You have something to say?" Raven could tell, even with his mask on, he was glaring at her. Hard. There was only one thing she could say. "N-no," she stuttered.

"Good," he gave her a faux smile. "Go." Raven turned and walked down the steps to the arena where Wonder Girl stood, waiting for her. She could have teleported, but every time she did, her teammates' fear of her spiked. She didn't want that. Raven inhaled and exhaled before stepping into the arena. She walked to the center and stood in front of Wonder Girl. "You ready?" the voice came from Tim speaking in a microphone. Wonder Girl gave an eager nod, and…he didn't even look at Raven. "Begin!" Wonder Girl immediately took the offensive, attacking with her little lasso. Raven dodged every attempt made by Wonder Girl to reel her in. At one point, Wonder Girl was able to get her lasso around one of Raven's arms. Raven sent a surge of black energy down the lasso, sending a shock through Wonder Girl's body. The force of her powers knocked Wonder Girl off her feet. But instead of monopolizing on the situation, Raven stood her ground and waited for Wonder Girl to stand. "Raven! What are you doing!" she heard Red Robin through the speakers. "Attack! You can't stay on defense all day!" Uh, yeah, she could. That is exactly what she intended to do. She couldn't exactly concentrate on anything with her raging headache. "Wonder Girl," she heard Red Robin said, "give it your all." And without hesitation, she flew to Raven and started barraging with fists. Of course, Raven blocked them all and pushed Wonder Girl back with her powers. But Wonder Girl was not to be perturbed. While her body was flying back, her whip was flying forward. And, since Raven was not feeling 100%, she didn't see the lasso flying at her. Once she landed, Wonder Girl quickly pulled Raven to her. Raven fought back, she did _not_ like being restrained. Soon she was so close enough to Wonder Girl – Wonder Girl was able to get off a couple of body shots and a headshot. Raven was able to release herself from the lasso, but she couldn't do much. The punch to her head, plus the raging headache, had made her dizzy. The next thing she knew, Wonder Girl landed a sidekick to her chest, causing her to fly back a few feet. Raven landed on her side with a thud. _That one hurt,_ she thought. But then something went wrong. Her skull felt like it was on fire. She put her hands to her head and willed the pain to stop. But the pain escalated. Red Robin's yelling in the background mixed with the emotions emanating from her many teammates, she just couldn't take it. Her head was going to explode. She felt a surge of energy, and then…silence. The next thing she knew, she was lying on her back in the infirmary with all seven of her teammates staring down at her. "What…happened?" she asked slowly. What had happened indeed?

* * *

Red Robin was annoyed. Raven wasn't fighting. She was defending. That's all she was doing. Was this a joke to her? Why was she only blocking? Not that her defense skills weren't amazing. Clearly, they were impressive as Wonder Girl hadn't landed a single blow. But he knew Raven was better than what she was showing. Based on the fighting he had seen from her; she was really gifted. She needed to give her all. "Raven!" he shouted into the microphone. "Attack! You can't stay on defense all day!" After a few moments with no change from Raven, he yelled, "Wonder Girl, give it your all." He would make Raven fight.

"Dude," Red Robin turned to the teammate who had spoken, "chill." Red Robin narrowed his masked eyes at Beast Boy.

"Never mind," Beast Boy cowered under Red Robin's glare. "You – you – you're good."

"Yo, Rob," Cyborg called. "Something's wrong." Red Robin turned his head back to the arena. Raven was on the ground and gripping her head. He didn't know what was going on, but he knew the signs of someone in a lot of pain. And for some reason, Raven was in a lot of brain. This fight needed to end. Now. But before he could call it, Wonder Girl sprung from where she was and prepared to land a final blow. "Wonder Girl, no!" Red Robin shouted, but it was too late. Or was it? Raven's arm was extended, and she was holding Wonder Girl in mid-air.

"Dude," Beast Boy said. And from the looks of it, Wonder Girl was choking. Raven was choking Wonder Girl. "Is she some type of jedi or something?" Red Robin continued to stare while Raven's body lifted in the air, the same height as Wonder Girl. Items like shelves, weights, towels, punching bags, everything that was not attached to the floor began flying around the gym. But things got hairy when Rose pointed. "Um…Red." He turned to see what she was pointing at. His staff - bos and practice swords were floating in the air, aimed at Wonder Girl. They began fly at Wonder Girl when Red Robin screamed, "Raven, no!" Immediately she released whatever hold she had on Wonder Girl, and the other items floating in the air fell to the floor. Raven fell to the floor with a thud as the Titans ran to the arena. "Wonder Girl!" Superboy called. "Are you okay?" he asked, immediately rushing to her. Wonder Girl was doubled over gasping for air. She nodded. "She's out," Rose said, nudging the young empath with her foot.

"What was she thinking!" Superboy demanded to know.

"I don't think she was," Wonder Girl said. "I don't think she was in control."

"Explain," Red Robin ordered.

"Her skin turned red. She had an extra pair of eyes and..." her voice trailed off, "her voice sounded gravelly and manly. And I don't think she was there, like, her body was there, but consciously, she wasn't." Wonder Girl paused. "She is _not_ a meta. She isn't from here at all."

Red Robin turned to the unconscious sorceress. "So, what is she?"


	3. Chapter 3

Raven sat up in the hospital bed with her knees pulled up to her chest. She looked up at Wonder Girl and said, "I am sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"No," Wonder Girl replied. Raven sighed in relief. "But we have questions," Red Robin stepped forward. "A lot of questions. The first one you can answer is – What are you? I had Cyborg scan you while you slept. Half of you is human. But the other half…we can't figure out. You're not a meta, which is what I additionally thought. You're also _not_ alien. The other half of you – your DNA can't be matched to anything in our universe. So, what are you?" Raven sighed. She didn't want to have this conversation just yet. But, unfortunately, this conversation needed to happen. Now. "I am half demon," she mumbled quietly. The blank stares she got were not what she expected. "Come again?" Kid Flash said.

"I said I am half-demon," Raven said a little louder.

"Oh, okay," Kid Flash said. "Just making sure I heard you right."

"Wait," Beast Boy said, confusion evident on his face, "you mean, one of your parents- "

"My father," Raven interrupted.

"Right, right. Your father is a demon?"

"Yes."

"Like from Hell?" Kid Flash asked in confusion and awe.

"Something like that."

"You do know how ridiculous that sounds when it's said out loud, right?" Rose asked.

"Yes," Raven said.

"Yeah," Red Robin said, "I'm going to need you to elaborate on the whole demon thing?" Raven started at the beginning. She told them her mom belonging to the Church of Blood and being raped by a demon. She then talked about her life on Azarath, and then the destruction of Azarath. She talked about being trained in her father's dimension for seven years. She talked about her escape to Earth, the Justice League, Batman, and that's about it. Her hood was still up, and even though they couldn't see her face, she could see and feel their emotions. It was a mixture of shock, awe, and fear. And for once, she could not sense Red Robin's emotion. "Umm," Rose spoke up first, "you have an accent."

"Ummm…I've been speaking English for a little more than two years," Raven answered.

"Oh," Wonder Girl said, "that's why you don't speak."

"I know formal and Shakespearean English, but I still do not understand the slang and idioms used."

"What's an idiom?" Kid Flash asked. Rose rolled her eyes. "You are such an idiot," she muttered.

"How did you communicate with the Justice League?" Superboy asked.

"I know a few alien languages," Raven said. "Martian Manhunter was able to understand me. He translated."

"Are you sure he translated correctly?"

"I could see his aura and sense his emotions. I think he was letting me into his head on purpose. I sensed nothing but truth coming from him."

"Where did you live in between the time you met the Justice League and us?"

"Gotham was the only place I knew at the time. I spent a few nights in different shelters, but then the nightmares started, and I was asked to not come back. My screaming was scaring the guests."

"Then where'd you go?"

"I lived on the streets." Multiple gasps could be heard from her teammates. "For how long?" Rose asked.

"Well, I was only able to stay in the shelters once I could communicate with the people running the shelters. And that took 3 months."

"You learned English in 3 months?" Rose interrupted.

"And Polish," Raven added. "I'm working on my French now. Also, one of the alien languages I speak is close to Earth's ancient Sumerian. That's how I was able to communicate with The Manhunter." The Titans studied her for a few seconds. Raven continued. "I was on the street a total of…" Raven paused, doing mental math in her head. "I was on the streets for 20 months." A moment of stunned silence filled the room. "Raven, that's almost 2 years," Cyborg stated.

"I know," she replied.

"Dude," Beast Boy whispered to Red Robin, "your dad, _Batman,_ is a jerk." Red Robin glared at the green boy through his mask. "Sorry," Beast Boy muttered.

"Where exactly did you sleep?" Rose wondered aloud.

"Besides the shelter, there were a couple of park benches; I slept inside the Gotham Aquarium when it rained or snowed. A few weeks ago, Batman found me and told me to go here."

"Well, that's a crap life," Kid Flash said. Rose immediately slapped him upside the head. "Shut up," she said.

"Does your father have a name?" Red Robin asked after a period of silence.

"Why do you need that?" Raven replied hastily.

"So, we know who to protect you from," Red Robin said. "What if he comes after you?"

"He looks nothing like me. If he comes here, you'll know. He's hard to miss," Raven said. Red Robin studied her for a moment. Her hood covered her face, so reading her micro expressions was not an option. But the rest of her body tensed when he asked her that question. And that was the only time she tensed up when talking about her father. Also, she answered his question with a question too quickly. "Why don't you want to tell his name, Raven?" he asked tersely. Raven muttered something.

"I'm not Superboy, Raven. I don't have super hearing."

"I said, his name is Trigon."

"Oh, my Hera," Wonder Girl gasped.

"I've heard about the dude," Cyborg said. "Not a nice guy."

"That's an understatement, Cyborg," Wonder Girl said. She turned to Red Robin. "We need to meet. Now." Red Robin nodded. He walked out of the room, the team following close behind.

Raven sat with her head resting on her bent knees, the posture of a defeated person. "I will not cry," she muttered to herself over and over again. Maybe she should just leave. It seemed better than being dismissed again. "I will not cry," she continued to whisper. But tears began to form behind her closed eyelids. Then one or two rolled down her cheeks. She was totally going to cry.

"Okay," Red Robin said once they were no longer within hearing distance. "What's wrong?"

"Her father, Trigon, is a monster," Wonder Girl said.

"You've met him before?" Red Robin asked.

"No," Wonder Girl responded. "But I was able to train in Themyscira last summer…they had a record of all the things he's done. He's a planet destroyer. And he doesn't destroy planets quickly. He likes to take his time doing it. He _loves_ torture. And if Raven, was trained by him…she seriously downplayed her abuse. And if the books about him are right, Raven is the first female child of his to survive past infancy. But if he ever does find her, he'll probably kill her for running away. And it won't be a quick death either. He'll take his time."

"She's right," Cyborg said. "You know how I told you about this weird alien language in my head that I sort of understand for some strange reason? Well, there's a lot of information on Trigon. You do not want to cross paths with that dude. I honestly don't know how she's survived this long. His training alone should have killed her."

"So, you two are saying her being here is putting the whole team in danger."

"I didn't say that. I was saying that there are no words to describe how scary he can be," Cyborg replied.

"So, we should kick her out," Red Robin stated. But Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Rose protested. "Guys, you saw what happened when she lost control," Red Robin asserted. "She almost killed Wonder Girl."

"But she didn't," Rose argued back. "Can any of you honestly say you've never lost control?"

"We don't try to kill people when we lose control," Superboy said.

"Superboy, you really shouldn't cast judgment. Especially since your cousin/brother or whoever he is, nearly destroyed Metropolis a few years ago," Rose bit back.

"He was being mind-controlled," Superboy defended Superman.

"Same difference," Rose snapped. Arguments soon erupted from both sides, while Kid Flash stood watching and wondering which side he should be on.

"I'll be back," Red Robin said, but his teammates didn't seem to hear him over the arguing. He walked to his room. He had a call to make.


	4. Chapter 4

Raven was nervous and anxious. She felt another headache coming on. Suddenly she heard a 'meow'. She looked over the bed to see a green kitten peering up at her from the floor with wide green eyes. "I am not picking you up if that is what you are hoping for," Raven said. Beast Boy transformed into himself. "That face has gotten me out of a lot of tough spots. Chicks dig the kitten."

"I am not like most chicks."

"No, you are not," he said, giving her a once over. But then he looked at her curiously. "Why do you always cover your face? You should pull your hood down." Raven shook her head. "I don't want to."

"Are you ugly?" Beast Boy asked.

"I do not know," Raven replied.

"Let me be the judge of that," Beast Boy reached for a hood, but Raven moved away. "Okay," he said throwing his hands up in surrender. "I'll leave it alone…for now," he said giving her a wink. Raven didn't respond. "Beast Boy, are you bothering her?" Cyborg came strolling in.

"No," Beast Boy said, pretending he was offended, "we were conversing."

"Were you conversing with Raven, or were you doing all the talking?"

"I resent that," Beast Boy said.

"Mind if I join?" another voice asked.

"Rose!" Beast Boy shouted.

"Dang, not so loud, B," Cyborg said. Rose walked over to them. "It's getting pretty heated out there. But I'm on team Raven," Rose said.

"Team Raven?" Raven questioned.

"They're discussing whether or not you should get kicked out," Rose responded. Raven didn't react. "Way to beat around the bush," Beast Boy muttered. Rose ignored him. "I know what it's like to have a mental case as a father. My father is Slade Wilson aka, Deathstroke."

"You are his daughter?" Raven asked. She knew who Deathstroke was. "He is a bad guy."

"Doesn't hold a candle to your father, but…yeah. I didn't want to be part of him anymore. Because of him, I have no identity. My father homeschooled me. I don't have a social security card. I don't have a birth certificate. I don't have a special someone. I have no identity to protect, which is why I use my real name with you guys. I don't exist."

"Still, that is awful," Raven said.

"It is what it is," Rose said with a shrug. Raven sensed people coming before they even entered her room. "Oh joy," Rose said sarcastically as the rest of the team and Red Robin piled into the room.

"We've come to a decision," he announced.

* * *

Red Robin grabbed the phone sitting on his desk in his room and hit the call button.

_"Tim, is something wrong?"_ the other voice asked.

"Is something wrong?" Tim repeated Bruce's question in disbelief. "Yeah, there's something wrong! You sent me a ticking time bomb. You failed to mention she's the daughter of a narcissistic megalomaniac demon!"

_"So, she told you,"_ Bruce stated calmly, his voice level.

"Yeah, I didn't really give her a choice. Bruce, if the Justice League couldn't help her, what makes you think a bunch of teens can?"

_"The Justice League could have helped her. We just decided not to. Not our finest hour."_

"So, what? She draws her father here and destroys us all? I'm supposed to sit by and let that happen?"

_"What makes you think that will happen?"_

"What makes you think it won't?" Tim shot back. "And she's quiet and weird. She barely speaks to anyone. She's always locked in her room. She isn't a team player."

_"Have you ever thought maybe she just doesn't know how to socialize?"_ Tim grew quiet. Raven _did_ mention being raised by monks and not ever being allowed to play with kids her own age. And he highly doubted her time with Trigon was anything but horrible.

_"I sent her to you because I knew she would be a valuable asset to the team."_

"Well," Tim sighed as he leaned against his desk. "She _is_ a great fighter."

_"And she's also an empath. Did it ever cross your mind that maybe she stayed in her room because of all the emotions your team projects, and she's not yet strong enough to handle all of that emotion?"_ Tim was ashamed to say that he had _not_ thought of that. He said nothing to his adopted father and mentor.

_"Tim,"_ Bruce sighed, " _she doesn't just need help. She needs a family. You of all people should understand that."_

"I guess, compared to the others, I haven't been that welcoming," Tim admitted slowly. "I haven't taken any time to talk to her. At all." Tim hung his head in shame. He was disappointed with himself.

_"You're so used to having people gravitate to you as Tim Drake and Red Robin. You have no idea what to do when it's someone who couldn't care less about your name."_ Red Robin nodded. That's fair. And true.

"She really is different from the others. Rose is a grump; but everyone else is extroverted like me; and Raven is an introvert with no one in her corner. I've been a dick," Tim face-palmed himself.

_"Give it another shot, and if in another month you still want to kick her out, I will arrange something."_

"Thanks, Bruce," Tim said as he hung up. That conversation was just what he needed. He knew what he had to do.


	5. Chapter 5

"You aren't being kicked out, Raven," Red Robin stated. "It's not your fault your father is who he is. And if he ever comes knocking on our door, we will help you take him down." It was almost like Red Robin had a split personality. This smiling guy who was at ease around her – she had no idea who he was. "Training is over for today," Red Robin announced. Beast Boy and Kid Flash cheered and raced upstairs to play video games. Cyborg said he would be in the garage if anyone needed him. Superboy and Wonder Girl decided to fly…somewhere. And Raven – he turned to look back at her and frowned when he saw the empty bed. Red Robin chuckled. _So that's what that feels like,_ he thought. He smirked. He needed to talk to her. Fortunately for him, her room was right across from hers. But maybe, he should change out of his uniform. He would keep the mask, but the rest had to go. He didn't want her to feel like she was being attacked.

Raven sat on her bed thinking. It was a strange turn of events. She honestly thought they were going to kick her out. It was a relief knowing they would allow her to stay. _Knock! Knock!_ She turned to her door. _Odd_. No one ever knocked on her door. She instinctively reached to pull her hood up but decided not to at the last minute. If she could trust them with her life story, she could trust them with her face. She opened the door to see Red Robin out of uniform save the mask, standing at her door. "Uh," he began uneasily. "Can I come in? I would like to talk to you." _No,_ Raven thought. "Sure," she said uneasily. He stepped into her room confidently and perfectly at ease. She sensed no hostility or anger in him at all. Odd. Maybe this was a clone. "Nice," he said, looking around the room. "I like what you've done with your room."

"It is black," Raven said. Seriously, who was this guy? "I know," he said, giving her a playful smile. "But you have the perfect amount of light streaming through the window. It's not too bright. It's not too dark. And I love the candles." He motioned to the candles spread throughout her room. Raven was confused. Her leader was talking to her…because he wanted to? She didn't know what to do, so she stood in the middle of the room, awkwardly, watching her leader…examine her room. "Your gothic style lamps are amazing, and you have a lot of books." He walked to her bookshelf and perused the items. "You know," he turned to, "I know a guy who owns a huge library. I think you'll love it. It has Ancient Latin texts and everything. Do you speak Latin?" he asked.

"Yes," Raven answered uneasily. She could sense no deception from him at all. He was being genuine. Raven was baffled. Red Robin turned and looked past Raven. "Is that a purple lava lamp?" he asked, trying to cover the humor in his voice.

"Yes, do you have one?" Raven asked.

"Yeah, when I was like, 8," Red Robin gave her disarmingly sweet smile.

"Well," Raven huffed, folding her arms across her chest, "I have never had one before. And I saw one in a store when I first came to Earth- "

"I'm not judging," Red Robin said. "I find it very cute that you have one."

"Cute?" Raven repeated with a scrunched-up face.

"Yep."

"If you say so." Red Robin continued to stare at her. He was so shocked to see big, violet orbs staring back at him when she opened the door. It was the first time he had ever seen her face. And if he was being honest with himself, she really was breathtaking in a cute way. Big violet eyes, cute nose that was the perfect size for her face, and lips that looked deceptively thin. Raven had cheeks that he really wanted to squeeze. Simply put, Raven was adorable…like a bunny. "Red Robin?" Raven said uncertainly.

"Right," Red Robin shook himself out of his daze. "I wanted to talk to you." Raven continued to stare into his masked eyes. "I'm guessing that the reason you're always in here is because you don't know how to socialize." Raven's shoulders fell. "I have never been around people my own age. I have always been surrounded by adults. I don't know how to relate to you guys. I am also afraid of accidentally offending someone," she said, playing with her hands.

"It's okay if you make mistakes, Raven. We all do. We won't…I won't hurt you or kick you out if you do something wrong." She nodded in understanding. "Why do you spar buy yourself after everyone has gone to bed?"

"I don't like people staring at me. I find it…unsettling. And sometimes, everyone's emotions bombard me, giving me headaches. I am not yet strong enough to block out everyone's emotions at the same time. But I'm getting there," she rushed to reassure him.

"It's okay," Red Robin said, holding his hands up. After a moment he said, "You've got yourself a new sparring buddy."

"What?"

"I've seen the recordings. You kick butt in those simulations. But I think you need a challenge. Which is why, on nights you want to spar, I will join you."

"I cannot ask that of you."

"You're not asking. I'm offering. You will not move me on this subject. And don't stop sparring at night just because you don't want to be around me," he said with a smile. Raven nodded. "You also talked about screaming during your nightmares."

"Yes," Raven said.

"Do you still get them?" Raven nodded. "Then how come I've never heard you. My room is literally across from yours. And neither of our rooms have soundproof walls. So, what is it?"

"I found this spell…I mute my own voice before I go to bed each night. No one can hear me scream. And I do not disturb anyone." Red Robin stared at her silently. Raven could not tell what he was thinking. But if she could, she would realize that his heart broke for her; and he would realize that this whole time she was trying to be considerate, he was too busy being an ass to her. "I'm sorry you have to do that, Raven," Red Robin said. She only shrugged. "It is what it is," Raven said in resignation, "Like I said, I do not wish to disturb anyone."

"I understand that," Red Robin said, "but we're a team. And if one of us is hurt, we help them. I don't want you muting your voice anymore. I don't care if you scream."

"But I get them almost every night," Raven protested.

"It doesn't matter. If I must wake up every night to calm you, I'll do it. It really won't be a problem."

"Red- "she stopped because suddenly he was right in front of her.

"Trust me," he said. To Raven it almost seemed like he was pleading with her. She gave a small nod. Red Robin gave a smile of relief. "Good," he said, "now come on." He held his hand out to her. She looked at his hand, then she looked at face. "Where?" she asked not fully understanding.

"To the common room. Beast Boy and Kid Flash and Rose are already there."

"But…"

"Nope," he said placing a finger on her soft lips. He quickly withdrew it. "Sorry," he said sheepishly. "But you have to start somewhere. You can't practice your socialization if you stay in your room all of the time." Raven looked at him, then his hand, then his face again. "Remember," he said softly, "trust me." Raven slowly placed her hand in his, and he led them out the door. "Do you want to put your hood up?" he asked. Raven shook her head. "No, I'll be fine," she said. And she realized, she really would be fine.


End file.
